"Weird." That's what Selina called May. Weird because she didn't go to parties, was hopeless with boys, and looked such a sight with her carrotty hair scrapped back in a pig tail, she looked more like four than fourteen. Selina of course looked much older. And beautiful. With her mane of black hair and her almond eyes, she was stunning. Bewitching. And naturally she went to lots of parties, and knew exactly what to do with boys.
Jacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.
One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.
Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.
Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!
In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
Fast paced and gripping early Wilson novel. All the magic ingredients of Wilsons trademark literary spells are here. Friends who are mismatched, broken homes, drama and heart. May lives with her grandparents and great aunt. She spends her life under the shadow of the memories of her mother the great artist and her controlling best friend Selina. Selina, the girl with the dark hair and eyes who reveals to May a dark secret. A secret that she is a witch! Very enjoyable with Grimm like tales, witchcraft and the darker side of families and friendship. Do you dare fall under the power of the shade!